This vegan apple cake is moist and fluffy and is topped with a pecan cinnamon streusel topping! It comes together in just 1 bowl with less than 10 ingredients. This cake can easily be made gluten-free, refined sugar-free and nut-free.
Simple ingredients you'll need
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Notes about the ingredients
Apple, grated very coarsely or chopped finely. Similar to carrot cake, grated apple imparts more flavor than apple chunks. I recommend using a sweeter variety such as fuji, gala or honeycrisp. If you prefer a more tart cake, use Granny Smith apples. The apples can be peeled or left unpeeled, depending on what texture you prefer!
Light brown sugar provides moisture and depth of flavor to this vegan apple cake. You can use coconut sugar for a less sweet cake. Granulated sugar will work but your cake will have less flavor.
Dairy-free milk. I recommend using a higher-protein milk such as soy milk as it makes this cake more tender. However, any milk such as oat milk or almond milk will work!
Apple cider vinegar (optional). Acidic ingredients make cakes more tender and fluffy. Alternatively, you can use white vinegar or lemon juice.
Even though this apple crumb cake has no eggs, you don't need any special egg replacers!
Tips for preparing the cake batter
The vegan apple cake comes together in one large bowl! All you need to do is:
- Whisk all the dry ingredients until combined.
- Add all the wet ingredients and fold until just combined. The batter should be pourable but thick and hold its shape.
- Keep the same bowl for the crumb topping because it saves you from washing extra dishes ;).
The cake batter is quite thick but don't worry, your final cake will not be dry! During baking, the moisture from the apples leaks into the cake and helps create a very moist cake.
How to prepare the crumb topping
Simply mix all the ingredients in a bowl until there are no chunks of flour or butter. I like using my fingertips as the butter melts slightly which helps bind all the ingredients.
I also included a healthier crumb topping that is refined sugar-free and oil-free (see the notes in the recipe card). The healthier version is crunchy and slightly chewy due to the liquid sweetener.
Decoration recommendations
I also topped my vegan apple crumb cake with thinly sliced apples, inspired by the design of German Apfelkuchen. It's a quick and easy way to make a cake presentable! However, you can also top your cake with:
- Cubed apples. This makes the cake easier to slice!
- Shredded coconut
- Pecans or other nuts by themselves
The baked cake is beautiful as is. However, for a special touch, dust the top with powdered sugar or drizzle a simple icing on top. It will make your morning or afternoon coffee even more special!
Top tips to make a FLUFFY apple cake
First, make sure your apple is NOT grated too finely otherwise can make your cake too moist! If your apple is very juicy, you may need to add more flour to your cake batter (details are in the notes of the recipe card below).
Second, I recommend using grams or the spoon and level method when measuring your ingredients!
Finally, make sure your oven is at the right temperature. If your oven is too hot, the top of your cake will burn quickly, and leave the middle uncooked. If your oven is too cold, your cake will be dense. I always recommend using an oven thermometer because many ovens (even new ones) don't operate at the right temperature!
Can I make this cake gluten-free?
I've tested this vegan apple cake with a few combinations of gluten-free flour and it works well with:
- A high-quality 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 50% almond flour and 50% gluten-free all-purpose flour (my top recommendation) OR
- 50% almond flour and 50% fine white rice flour.
Expert Tips
I recommend using my vegan apple muffins recipe instead. The ingredients are similar to this recipe but the recipe is designed for a 12-cup muffin pan.
Some delicious additions to the cake itself are:
- chopped walnuts or pecans
- ground ginger, cardamon, nutmeg or other warm spices
- a cinnamon sugar layer, for example from my pumpkin coffee cake recipe
Feel free to substitute half of the oil with melted vegan butter. Butter solidifies at room temperature so can often make a cake feel dry so, for the best results, I suggest using only half melted butter.
Feel free to use spelt or whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour. Your cake will be denser than the original but still delicious! Coconut sugar is the best 1:1 replacement for brown sugar.
A few readers have successfully replaced the oil with unsweetened applesauce and dairy-free plain greek yogurt. However, I haven't tested them myself so can't vouch for results.
More vegan apple desserts
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Vegan Apple Cake
Ingredients
Dry ingredients for the cake
- 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose plain flour, (spooned and leveled, see note 1 for gluten-free option)
- 1 cup (190g) packed brown sugar, coconut sugar or regular sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt, optional
Wet ingredients for the cake
- 1 cup (240g) dairy-free milk
- 1 x (180g) medium-sized apple, grated very coarsely or chopped finely (note 2)
- ½ cup (120g) neutral flavored oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Crumb topping (note 3)
- ⅓ cup (35g) pecans, chopped
- ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose plain flour, or gluten-free all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (30g) vegan butter, spreadable butter or coconut oil, softened
- 2 tablespoons (25g) packed brown sugar, coconut sugar or regular sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 x (180g) medium-size apple, sliced thinly
To serve (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease or line an 8-inch (20 cm) springform or loose-bottom cake pan with parchment paper.
Make the vegan apple cake:
- Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix until everything is well combined.
- Add all of the wet ingredients to the bowl and mix until just combined. The batter should be thick. Scoop or pour the batter into the cake pan and smooth the top with a spoon or spatula.
Prepare the crumb topping:
- Using the same bowl (or a smaller clean bowl), add all the ingredients for the topping. Mix with a spoon or your fingertips until combined. There shouldn't be any chunks of butter or flour.
Assemble and bake the cake:
- Arrange the thinly sliced apple on the top of the cake in 'fan' shapes or as desired. Sprinkle the crumble in the gaps on top of the cake.
- Bake the cake for 55-60 minutes. If the crumble topping is browning too quickly, tent the cake pan with aluminum foil or cover the pan with an oven-safe plate. The cake is ready when you can insert a toothpick in the middle and there is no wet batter on it. The cake is very moist so a few crumbs on the toothpick are fine.
- Rest the cake in the cake pan for 10-15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and allow it cool entirely on a cooling rack.
- If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar or drizzle with a simple glaze (note 4). Enjoy with dairy-free yogurt, vegan ice cream or/and a cup of coffee.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
- Make sure you measure your flour accurately, otherwise your cake will be dry and dense. If you're using measuring cups, use the spoon and level method where you fluff up the flour in the bag, use a spoon to add flour to a measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. Don't use the measuring cup to scoop flour out of your container, as it will pack in too much flour and result in dry and dense cake. Alternatively, use the grams measurements.
For a gluten-free vegan apple cake, substitute the plain flour for a good quality 1:1 gluten-free flour OR 1 ½ cups (150g) almond flour and 1 cup (160g) gluten-free all-purpose flour. - This cake will be too moist if you grate the apples too finely. Ideally, the grated apple shouldn't leak any juice. If your apple is extra juicy, use an extra 3 tablespoons (25g) of flour in the recipe.
- For a healthier crumble, use the same amount of pecans, flour and cinnamon but combine it with 1 tbsp of maple syrup (instead of the sugar and butter). Mix all ingredients until there are no pockets of flour or syrup then crumble the mixture on the cake.
- To make a simple glaze, mix 1 cup (100g) of powdered/icing sugar with 2-4 tablespoons of dairy-free milk until smooth. Add more sugar for a thicker glaze or more milk for a thinner glaze. Wait until the cake cools then drizzle the glaze on top.
Nutrition
This post and recipe was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2021 with a video, more detailed pictures and an easier crumb topping. The original healthier crumble is in the notes!
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Hi Anthea! Would this recipe scale up well for a larger rectangular tin?
Hey Olivia! Yes, I imagine so as long as the tin isn't extra long, say 14 inches (35cm). I would also add an extra dash of milk just in case, say 2 tablespoons (30g), because it'll need a little more time in the oven. Hope that helps! 😊
Super tasty and healthy! Thank you Anthea ♥️
I'm so happy that you enjoyed this cake, Ri! Thanks so much for the lovely review x
This is a fantastic cake. First time made and totally delicious. I added a couple of handfuls of frozen blueberries for colour and it worked so well. Moist and tender, flavourful and just perfect. Thank you for sharing it with us!
Hi Maja, aw I'm thrilled that you enjoyed this cake! And I love that you added blueberries too - what a tasty and beautfiul addition :). Thanks so much for your feedback!!
Hi Anthea,
Your Vegan Apple Crumb Cake recipe was the star of our Christmas celebration! The cake itself was a perfect blend of moistness and spice, complemented by the delightful crumb topping. Even the non-vegans were amazed at how rich and flavorful it was. Thank you Anthea for spreading joy through your incredible creations! I can’t wait to try the next one (sticky toffee pudding:-))
Hi Sonal, oh I'm so honored that you chose to make this as of your Christmas celebrations!! You've described the cake better than I could ever. Thank you soo much for the thoughtful and glowing feedback x
I've now made this cake many many times and it's ALWAYS a huge hit (with vegans and non-vegans alike).
I've also made the gluten-free version (got devoured in no time!). I've made many other versions: replaced the apple & pecans with pear & walnuts, added chocolate chips, added ground ginger and stem ginger in syrup and all versions have turned out delicious.
My most requested cake, thank you for the recipe Anthea! It certainly has shown people that you definitely do not need eggs and butter to make a mouthwatering cake!
Hi Isabelle, aw I'm soo thrilled that this recipe has been a keeper for you! I'm drooling at all of your variations and now I want to get back into the kitchen and make this cake. And I absolutely agree about eggs and butter - thanks sooo much for your really kind review :).
This would make 500 grams cake or more quantity wise?
Hi Pooja, I have never weighed the final cake, but cake batter weighs around 1100 grams (without the topping). Baking will evaporate some of the milk, so I'd say the final cake will weigh around 800 grams (without the topping).
Hi! Do you think I could double the ingredients to make a sheet pan cake? Or do you have any suggestions, I have a big party with many friends! Thanks
Hi Laura! I think it'd be better to multiply the ingredients by 1.5 to make a sheet pan cake. The original cake is a little tall so you'd get away with 150% of it in a sheet pan (hover over the number next to 'servings' and change the number to 15 to scale up the ingredients). With baking times, I think it'll take anywhere from from 45-60 minutes to bake. Hope that helps!
My goodness, this is the best cake ever! It helps that I love cinnamon, might even add more next time. The crumble topping is perfect, adding crunch and sweetness. Thank you, will definitely be making it again (I have some non vegan friends to impress!).
Aw, that's the sweetest review, thanks so much Isabelle! And haha, I hear you about trying to impress non-vegan friends - I hope that love the cake too. Thanks again!
So good!!
Yay, thanks for your feedback Elly!
Delicious! Not dense at all.
That's wonderful, thanks Rachel!
It was soo good! I replaced the pecans with walnuts and did the healthier crumble version. Also used half spelt flour and half regular flour. It was a hit and everyone in my family love it😊
Aw, I'm so happy that you enjoyed this cake, Merel! Love that you were able to customize it to your tastes as well. Thanks so much for your feedback 🙂
This cake is 10/10. It’s mega moist just the way I want it and it’s super easy to prepare. I made it plain, without the topping. I’ve promised myself to make at least one cake per week from this account:)) the autumn routines start now!
I'm so thrilled to hear that you loved this cake Linnea!! And aw, you're so sweet - thanks so much for your kindness and support! There's no better way to welcome Autumn with some cozy cakes :). Thanks for your kind feedback!
Hi, planning to make this recipe but I only have a 9 inch springform pan. Do you know how that would effect cooking time? Thank you.
Hi Danielle, yes the cake won't take as long to bake if you're using a 9-inch pan. Try checking the cake at around the 40-minute mark!
Made this for my spouse's birthday yesterday and everybody liked it! The recipe worked like a charm, I didn't change a thing. Thank you very much!
When I do it again, I might put a little bit less sugar, because it was rather sweet.
I served the cake with a chocolate sauce and it was delicious. It really feels like it would be delicious with some ice cream!
That's great to hear Angélique! It really would be amazing with ice cream. Thanks so much for your feedback 🙂
Amazingly innovative, simple and enjoyable recipe to make! I know it sounds silly but I thought it might taste like apple cake with crumble on top but it tastes just like the two combined and is a real crowd pleaser if you love apple crumble! I made it for my partners birthday and he was blown away <3 Thank-you Anthea <3
Aw I'm so glad that you loved making this cake Kity! I also love how you described the combination of the cake and crumble. Thanks so much for your feedback Kity x
Made this gluten free with the recommendation of 1 1/2 cup almond flour and 1 cup GF flour. It is SO good! Surprisingly light and fluffy
Oooh I'm sooo happy that you enjoyed the GF version! It's one of my fav recipes that can be made gf. Thanks so much Megan :).
I'm looking forward to making this! But I was wondering if I could use almonds for the crumble instead of pecans, which are super hard to find where I live.
Hi Daniela, yes any type of nuts will work in the crumble! Let me know how you go 🙂
Another successful recipe from your blog! It turned out super delicious and I can't wait to make it again (the first round was practice, the second will be for non-vegans 😉 )